Water for the World photo exhibition

Jul 2011

Belgium

Water is a life challenge for 2.6 billion people
lacking access to fresh water or proper sanitation.
Climate change, increasing population
and changes in eating habits are putting our
resources at risk on a global scale. Water is
also an underestimated issue in many developed
countries, where water is taken for
granted by most people, industry or farmers.
Raising awareness of the scale and range of
water challenges is a key step to engage staff
and communities in better using and preserving
their water resources.

To raise awareness and encourage a more
efficient use of this precious resource, Borealis
has initiated the Water for the Wold photo exhibition.
Since its launch in November 2008
the exhibition has already visited 10 communities
in 5 countries and will continue touring
throughout 2010.

Water is a life challenge for 2.6 billion people lacking
access to fresh water or proper sanitation.
Climate change, increasing population and changes
in eating habits are putting our resources at
risk on a global scale. The value of water is also
underestimated in many developed countries,
where it is taken for granted by most people, industrialists
and farmers. Raising awareness of the
scale and range of water challenges is a key step
to engage staff and communities in better using
and preserving their water resources.

To engage employees and local communities,
Borealis developed the Water for the World-photo
exhibition roadshow. The exhibition takes its origin
from the book “Troubled Waters” by the wellknown
Belgian photographer Dieter Telemans,
documenting with his photographs the water crisis,
its causes and consequences. From drought in
the Horn of Africa and floods in Bangladesh to
massive irrigation in Spain, the exhibition gives an
emotional impression of the wide range of water
challenges.

Partnered by industry appreciated by community

Starting in November 2008, the exhibition has
been staged so far at 10 locations in 5 countries
and its tour is planned to continue in 2010.

Belgium was the first country in which the exhibition
was presented. There, it was rolled out in
partnership with Green, a Belgian NGO, the community
of Beringen and the local water distribution
company VMW-Vlaamse Maatschappij voor
Watervoorziening. Together with Green, a free
educational package on water topics was developed
and provided to the schools in the community
of Beringen. Guided by a representative
of Green, in total 350 school kids visited the exhibition
and participated at a water contest initiated
as part of the project.

Subsequently the exhibition was also shown in
Mechelen and Zwijndrecht. Local water distributors
AWW (Antwerpse Water Werken) and PIDPA
(Provinciale en Intercommunale Drinkwatermaatschappij
van de Provincie Antwerpen) cooperated
in the roll-out and provided a range of information materials related to water. In all Belgian
locations Borealis employees were invited for a
guided tour. The high level of interest was reflected
in a request from the Hidrodoe water-based action
park at Herentals for the loan of the exhibition for
the benefit of its visitors during the 2009 summer
vacation.

In Finland, the exhibition was on show in the Borealis building in Porvoo for four weeks then moved to the University Consortium of Pori. There its presentation was coincided with the launch of the virtual Water School, an educational website for schoolchildren aged 10-11 throughout Finland.

This project is partnered by the Finnish Water Institute, Borealis and the Educational Office of the city of Pori. More information about Water School is available in a separate Water for the World case study.

At Rockport, USA, the Borealis location in North America, the exhibition coincided with ‘Earth Day’. It was presented at the local elementary school, where the entire day was dedicated to water topics. Around 300 children and their teachers discussed water related subjects in class and did water-based experiments. At the end of the day, kids signed up as ‘water friends’ on a big board, as a personal commitment to do their bit to protect this precious resource.

On the Borealis site in Burghausen, Germany, the exhibition was on display for two weeks with presentations to Borealis and OMV employees and a special presentation for media and stakeholders from the local community. In addition, schoolchildren aged 15-16 years, were invited to visit the exhibition together with their teachers who asked for further supporting material for use in day-today classroom work.

Continuing the tour in 2010

Building on the positive outcomes of the exhibition
throughout 2009, Troubled Waters will be back
on the road during 2010. The start-point will be
Vienna where it is planned to stage the exhibition
coincidentally with ‘World Water Day’ which is
celebrated each year in March.